Warning that burning vegetation is ‘illegal, extremely dangerous’
“I want to make it clear that, until August 31, the burning of growing vegetation is prohibited. Any person found breaching this prohibition risks prosecution, fines and imprisonment. Any farmer found engaging in illegal burning will face the same rigours of the law but will also risk the loss of their Single Farm Payment.”
He said: “It is completely unacceptable for a person to act so thoughtlessly as to set fire to vegetation and then to simply walk away from the consequences of that action when those consequences could destroy the very lives and livelihoods of their own neighbours. I am taking this opportunity to call on all rural dwellers, farmers, forest owners, landowners and especially those that own, rent, lease or manage commonage, to unite in their response against the unacceptable behaviour of a small minority of careless and reckless people.
“This year there will be a co-ordinated effort to tackle the instances of wildfire outbreak and to monitor the burning activities of landowners and I welcome the support of all responsible stakeholders in achieving this goal.”
He pointed out that since June 2009 reconstitution grants no longer cover damage from fire to forests. It is essential for forest owners to ensure that their forestry plantations have adequate fire insurance cover.
